2012 Tour de France



Originally Posted by Andrija .


A comeback?

Is there a chance of his engagement with that Swiss team interested in Cancellara? Or with the new German team?
No just rumors started by the media. He is racing again in the US in the Fondo races.
 
Originally Posted by jhuskey .

No just rumors started by the media. He is racing again in the US in the Fondo races.
Thanks.
He's enthusiastic in promoting cycling.
I think he'll enjoy in company of fans.
 
Originally Posted by Andrija .


Thanks.
He's enthusiastic in promoting cycling.
I think he'll enjoy in company of fans.
I think he has been doing a blog for Eurosport also. He is still in the game just not in the tour.
 
any thoughts on how riis, the schlecks and cancellara can mend fences and bring themselves together in a team? i figure the schlecks are a no-go because of the contador signing, but fabu did have some very good results with bjarne building squads around him.
 
Originally Posted by slovakguy .

any thoughts on how riis, the schlecks and cancellara can mend fences and bring themselves together in a team? i figure the schlecks are a no-go because of the contador signing, but fabu did have some very good results with bjarne building squads around him.
If I remember correctly, they've all signed three year contracts with Leopard. Also, Leopard's license is on three years.
Right now, it isn't likely the Leopard will continue in cycling. Maybe if something dramatically changes during and after Vuelta, but I doubt.

I presume, someone could buy out the license and make a new team.
The new German team looks like logical successor of Leopard's license. The other possible successor - Bruyneel, currently isn't looking too realistic.

So, in my opinion, Schlecks and Cancellara could ride together next year either in Leopard or in that German team.

There's no way back to Riis for Schlecks, but Cancellara could return.

Cancellara's choice depends on his readiness to go through the same situations which made him displeased both with Riis and Schlecks, I'd say.

Thus I believe the Swiss team could be his preferred choice.
He would be their ticket to Classics, and they would be his own team near home.
The only problem could be the Tour invitation. Cancellara is a rider who should be present in the hundredth edition of the race.
 
Originally Posted by Andrija .


If I remember correctly, they've all signed three year contracts with Leopard. Also, Leopard's license is on three years.
Right now, it isn't likely the Leopard will continue in cycling. Maybe if something dramatically changes during and after Vuelta, but I doubt.

I presume, someone could buy out the license and make a new team.
The new German team looks like logical successor of Leopard's license. The other possible successor - Bruyneel, currently isn't looking too realistic.

So, in my opinion, Schlecks and Cancellara could ride together next year either in Leopard or in that German team.

There's no way back to Riis for Schlecks, but Cancellara could return.

Cancellara's choice depends on his readiness to go through the same situations which made him displeased both with Riis and Schlecks, I'd say.

Thus I believe the Swiss team could be his preferred choice.
He would be their ticket to Classics, and they would be his own team near home.
The only problem could be the Tour invitation. Cancellara is a rider who should be present in the hundredth edition of the race.
Thanks And.

Eurosport were reporting yesterday that Riis has been trying to persuade Cancellara to consider a move back to Saxo Tinkov.
I don't think the same persuasion was extended to include the Schleck brothers though.

The Radioshack experiment has been a disaster. I think I said it here at the time, superteams cobbled together rarely work.
 
I think Wiggins has the yellow locked unless something unforseen happens. How about third place? Evans could get about a minute on Nibali in the long TT but he probably needs to attack on Thursday for sure to gain a few seconds on Nibali. The only other consideration is that Evans has the legs to pressure Froome to sacrifice himself for Wiggins and crack. Not likely but I am not readay to call it over. I need some more racing. Either way Evans has a hard fews day and literally an uphill battle to make the podium.
 
Originally Posted by jhuskey .

I think Wiggins has the yellow locked unless something unforseen happens. How about third place? Evans could get about a minute on Nibali in the long TT but he probably needs to attack on Thursday for sure to gain a few seconds on Nibali. The only other consideration is that Evans has the legs to pressure Froome to sacrifice himself for Wiggins and crack. Not likely but I am not readay to call it over. I need some more racing. Either way Evans has a hard fews day and literally an uphill battle to make the podium.

I think the Nibali/Evans battle needs to factor in Jurgen Van Den Broeck too for 3rd place on the podium.
I think Wiggins and Froome are safe where they are.

There is 2 minute gap between Nibali in 3rd position and Van Den Broeck in 5th position.

Sagan is home and dry as regards the Green Jersey competition.

KOM's is still open as is the Young Rider competition.
 
Wiggins looks good for the overall triumph, no doubt.
Next two stages should bring some excitement. Evans, Nibali and VDB have to try something. If they don't try, people will say they've surrendered without fight, and that's what no one likes to hear.
They have to put Wiggins under pressure and make Froome thinking if he should follow or lead.
If the trio behind Wiggo and Froome manages to disturb Sky's hierarchy on Wednesday, the race is on again. On Thursday it's already late.
I think they've had and missed a chance to do this on the way to La Toussuire .

I'd say the key of this year's Tour excitement is at Froome.
 
Originally Posted by Andrija .

Wiggins looks good for the overall triumph, no doubt.
Next two stages should bring some excitement. Evans, Nibali and VDB have to try something. If they don't try, people will say they've surrendered without fight, and that's what no one likes to hear.
They have to put Wiggins under pressure and make Froome thinking if he should follow or lead.
If the trio behind Wiggo and Froome manages to disturb Sky's hierarchy on Wednesday, the race is on again. On Thursday it's already late.
I think they've had and missed a chance to do this on the way to La Toussuire .

I'd say the key of this year's Tour excitement is at Froome.
Toussuire was where Rolland won??

If it was I agree that this is where the others, if they were capable, should have tried to attack SKY.
To be fair, although Wiggins appeared to be in trouble in the final 10 kms, I think the other GC contenders were in trouble too.
Nibali looked fresh but Evans didn't. Van Den Broeck on that stage did make moves
 
Originally Posted by steve .


BMC is proof of that!
Indeed BMC are.

Once again, Evans doesn't have a team trying to help him in this TDF.
Apart from limited support perhaps from Van Gardaren, BMC have been non-existent in terms of support for GC campaign.
Hincapie? Gilbert? Moinard? Burghardt?
Cummings handing over a bike that was already punctured doesn't cut it.
 
Originally Posted by limerickman .


Toussuire was where Rolland won??

If it was I agree that this is where the others, if they were capable, should have tried to attack SKY.
To be fair, although Wiggins appeared to be in trouble in the final 10 kms, I think the other GC contenders were in trouble too.
Nibali looked fresh but Evans didn't. Van Den Broeck on that stage did make moves
Yes, the stage where Rolland won, and where Froome made that controversial acceleration.
Nibali and VDB were in front when Froome caught them, and they looked spent a bit, but behind them Wiggo looked like he's in bigger problem. Evans was further down the road, already over.
I think that was good opportunity at least to see what's possible.

And that's why I think the race could be on again. It's not everything smooth in the Sky.
 
Originally Posted by steve .

BMC is proof of that!
agreed with reservations. the blokes on eurosport made the point about how poorly this bmc team has performed. have to lay blame for that squarely at ochowicz's feet. far too often sky have peeled every bmc rider away from evans and still had three of their sky jerseys at the front when the road went up.

what surprises me is how few alliances have been made on the road to put sky under pressure. odd that the ones in the top ten can all see that they need to work together to take sky down a peg, yet they all seem to like their current positions rather than take a run at a better position. as though there are better bragging rights and marketing opportunities for having placed third and not fifth.
 
Originally Posted by slovakguy .

what surprises me is how few alliances have been made on the road to put sky under pressure. odd that the ones in the top ten can all see that they need to work together to take sky down a peg, yet they all seem to like their current positions rather than take a run at a better position. as though there are better bragging rights and marketing opportunities for having placed third and not fifth.
It's basically due to the way UCI does their rankings - are rider truly IS better off playing it safe and locking down a top-10 finish, as opposed to attacking and trying to win - because if it doesn't work and he blows himself up, he'll most likely free-fall from top 5 out of the top 20.

That would be bad for the team as far as points go, bad for the rider, come contract time, and bad for both as far as exposure.
 
sure, as in gaining more points for the team to maintain pro status the following year, agreed. just finding it disappointing to see such conservative riding when they could have a chance at breaking sky up a bit. perhaps tomorrow's stage will prove to be the cracker. a bit of madcap descending might just put wiggins under the gun.
 
Yeah, what would make the most since would be for Nibali, Evans, and VDB to ally with each other and try to crack Sky - because as it looks now, laying back and waiting for them to make a mistake isn't going to happen; and it's compounded by the fact that IF Wiggo has a bad day, they could very well let Froome loose to go for yellow.
 
good point on the froome angle. just hoping they aren't letting it all hang on the final tt.
 
... I'm surprised that Mr Kimmages puppet hasn't mentioned anything about Frank "Fuentes blood" Schleck being chucked out the Tour today. If it'd been a certain American he would have been typing faster than a big room full of secretaries...

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Poisoning is weak excuse, despite cooperation with Police.
Younger brother is swearing (what else younger brother could do?).
His team has left him on his own.

Only the B sample can save him.